Can someone explain to me how it didn't directly hit Jamaica

[browe29]

I'm trying to understand how Ivan got right off the shores of Kingston and decided to make a left turn. I have several clients in Jamaica and this is the most amazing thing to them. I'm calling it the Jamaican Jog.

Was there a weather event somewhere that caused this? Could the mountain range on that part of the island cause this?

[Innotech]

the unexpected formation and strengthening of hte ridge to his North/

[Steve Cosby]

Bastardi mentioned that hurricanes tend to head toward Jamaica and then skip around them - some sort of frictional effect.

[Sanibel]

The upper half of the storm encounters land and throws the rest of the storm off balance. Hurricanes are structured to have the fastest winds closest to the center and the slower ones on the outside. When half the storm hits 7 thousand foot Jamaican mountains it slows down that half. Since the lower part of the storm is still overwater and spinning unobstructed it creates lower pressure. Like a tornado, very fast-moving air creates low pressure. Since the southern half is spinning faster and therefore creating lower pressure, it sucks the entire storm south.

I believe there is another factor involved here however. The storm probably transited from the tropical flow off the Atlantic to the bottom of the Bermuda High it was riding under. This secondary extension of the Bermuda High was encountered just as the storm reached Jamaica. NHC probably doesn't deal in this minutia.

So the real answer is that the suction caused by this frictional imbalance combined with just the right timing of the transfer from tropical to sub-ridge environment caused the High to 'bump' Ivan south in a veer as it encountered these phenomenon simultaneously.

You asked!

[chakalakasp]

[Pebbles]

I like your answer chakalakasp Sometimes the best answer..doesn't need words! Sure there is some scientific answer to it...but believe yours is #1.